Tutorial: Converting PDF Documents to Excel (XLS) Format

Learning Objectives

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

  • Convert PDF documents to Excel (XLS) format using Aspose.PDF Cloud API
  • Extract tabular data from PDF files into structured spreadsheets
  • Implement PDF to Excel conversion using REST API calls
  • Preserve table structure and formatting during conversion
  • Work with the conversion in multiple programming languages

Prerequisites

Before starting this tutorial, make sure you have:

  • An Aspose Cloud account with an active subscription or free trial
  • Your Client ID and Client Secret credentials
  • Basic understanding of REST API concepts
  • Familiarity with your programming language of choice
  • A PDF document containing tables to test the conversion

Why Convert PDF to Excel?

Converting PDF to Excel is essential when you need to:

  • Extract and work with tabular data from PDF reports
  • Perform calculations on numerical data from PDF documents
  • Analyze financial statements or data tables from PDFs
  • Import PDF-based data into spreadsheet applications
  • Reuse and manipulate tabular content from fixed-format documents

Understanding PDF to Excel Conversion

When converting a PDF to Excel, the Aspose.PDF Cloud API:

  1. Identifies and extracts tables from the PDF document
  2. Preserves the structure of rows and columns
  3. Attempts to maintain cell formatting where possible
  4. Creates a structured XLS document with the extracted data
  5. Handles complex table layouts including merged cells

Now, let’s walk through the implementation process.

Step 1: Obtaining API Access Credentials

Before making any API requests, you need to obtain your authentication credentials:

  1. Log in to the Aspose Cloud Dashboard
  2. Navigate to “Applications” and note your Client ID and Client Secret
  3. If you don’t have an application, create one to generate these credentials

Step 2: Authentication with Aspose Cloud API

The first step in using the API is to obtain an access token:

Using cURL

curl -v "https://api.aspose.cloud/connect/token" \
     -X POST \
     -d "grant_type=client_credentials&client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&client_secret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
     -H "Accept: application/json"

Take note of the access_token in the response, as you’ll need it for subsequent API calls.

Step 3: Converting PDF to Excel (XLS)

Aspose.PDF Cloud offers multiple approaches for PDF to Excel conversion:

  1. Convert a PDF file already stored in cloud storage
  2. Upload and convert a PDF file in a single request
  3. Convert and receive the Excel content directly in the response

Let’s explore each of these methods:

Method 1: Convert PDF Already in Cloud Storage

Using cURL

curl -v "https://api.aspose.cloud/v3.0/pdf/Sample.pdf/convert/xls?outPath=result.xls" \
     -X GET \
     -H "Accept: application/json" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Method 2: Upload and Convert PDF in One Request

Using cURL

curl -v "https://api.aspose.cloud/v3.0/pdf/convert/xls?outPath=result.xls" \
     -X PUT \
     -T Sample.pdf \
     -H "Content-Type: multipart/form-data" \
     -H "Accept: application/json" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Method 3: Convert and Download Excel Content Directly

Using cURL

curl -v "https://api.aspose.cloud/v3.0/pdf/convert/xls" \
     -X PUT \
     -T Sample.pdf \
     -H "Content-Type: multipart/form-data" \
     -H "Accept: multipart/form-data" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
     -o converted.xls

Programming with SDK Examples

Let’s implement the conversion using different SDK languages:

Using Python SDK

# Tutorial Code Example: PDF to Excel Conversion using Python SDK
import os
import asposepdfcloud
from asposepdfcloud.apis.pdf_api import PdfApi
from asposepdfcloud.rest import ApiException

def convert_pdf_to_excel():
    # Configure API credentials
    client_id = "YOUR_CLIENT_ID"
    client_secret = "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"
    
    # Initialize PDF API client
    pdf_api = PdfApi(asposepdfcloud.Configuration(
        client_id=client_id,
        client_secret=client_secret
    ))
    
    try:
        # 1. Local PDF file to convert
        input_file = "Sample.pdf"
        
        # 2. Name of the output Excel file
        output_file = "result.xls"
        
        # 3. Upload the PDF to cloud storage
        print(f"Uploading {input_file} to cloud storage...")
        uploaded_file = pdf_api.upload_file(
            path=input_file,
            file=open(input_file, 'rb')
        )
        print(f"File uploaded successfully to: {uploaded_file.uploaded}")
        
        # 4. Convert the uploaded PDF to Excel
        print("Converting PDF to Excel...")
        result = pdf_api.put_pdf_in_storage_to_xls(
            name=input_file,
            out_path=output_file
        )
        print(f"Conversion completed with status: {result.code} - {result.status}")
        
        # 5. Download the converted Excel file
        print(f"Downloading converted Excel file: {output_file}")
        xls_content = pdf_api.download_file(output_file)
        with open("local_" + output_file, "wb") as f:
            f.write(xls_content)
        print(f"Downloaded Excel file to: local_{output_file}")
        
        # 6. Verify the file exists
        if os.path.exists("local_" + output_file):
            print(f"Success! File size: {os.path.getsize('local_' + output_file)} bytes")
        
    except ApiException as e:
        print(f"Exception when calling PdfApi: {e}")
        
# Execute the conversion
convert_pdf_to_excel()

Using C# SDK

// Tutorial Code Example: PDF to Excel Conversion using C# SDK
using System;
using System.IO;
using Aspose.Pdf.Cloud.Sdk.Api;
using Aspose.Pdf.Cloud.Sdk.Client;
using Aspose.Pdf.Cloud.Sdk.Model;

namespace AsposeConversionTutorial
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Configure API credentials
            string clientId = "YOUR_CLIENT_ID";
            string clientSecret = "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET";
            
            // Initialize PDF API client
            var config = new Configuration
            {
                AppSid = clientId,
                AppKey = clientSecret
            };
            var pdfApi = new PdfApi(config);
            
            try
            {
                // 1. Local PDF file to convert
                string inputFile = "Sample.pdf";
                
                // 2. Name of the output Excel file
                string outputFile = "result.xls";
                
                // 3. Upload the PDF to cloud storage
                Console.WriteLine($"Uploading {inputFile} to cloud storage...");
                using (var fileStream = File.OpenRead(inputFile))
                {
                    var uploadResult = pdfApi.UploadFile(inputFile, fileStream);
                    Console.WriteLine($"File uploaded successfully to: {uploadResult.Uploaded[0]}");
                }
                
                // 4. Convert the uploaded PDF to Excel
                Console.WriteLine("Converting PDF to Excel...");
                var result = pdfApi.PutPdfInStorageToXls(inputFile, outputFile);
                Console.WriteLine($"Conversion completed with status: {result.Code} - {result.Status}");
                
                // 5. Download the converted Excel file
                Console.WriteLine($"Downloading converted Excel file: {outputFile}");
                var xlsContent = pdfApi.DownloadFile(outputFile);
                File.WriteAllBytes($"local_{outputFile}", xlsContent);
                Console.WriteLine($"Downloaded Excel file to: local_{outputFile}");
                
                // 6. Verify the file exists
                if (File.Exists($"local_{outputFile}"))
                {
                    var fileInfo = new FileInfo($"local_{outputFile}");
                    Console.WriteLine($"Success! File size: {fileInfo.Length} bytes");
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Exception during conversion: {ex.Message}");
            }
        }
    }
}

Using Java SDK

// Tutorial Code Example: PDF to Excel Conversion using Java SDK
import com.aspose.pdf.cloud.sdk.api.PdfApi;
import com.aspose.pdf.cloud.sdk.client.ApiException;
import com.aspose.pdf.cloud.sdk.model.AsposeResponse;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.nio.file.Paths;

public class PdfToExcelConverter {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Configure API credentials
        String clientId = "YOUR_CLIENT_ID";
        String clientSecret = "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET";
        
        // Initialize PDF API client
        PdfApi pdfApi = new PdfApi(clientId, clientSecret);
        
        try {
            // 1. Local PDF file to convert
            String inputFile = "Sample.pdf";
            
            // 2. Name of the output Excel file
            String outputFile = "result.xls";
            
            // 3. Upload the PDF to cloud storage
            System.out.println("Uploading " + inputFile + " to cloud storage...");
            File file = new File(inputFile);
            pdfApi.uploadFile(inputFile, file);
            System.out.println("File uploaded successfully to cloud storage");
            
            // 4. Convert the uploaded PDF to Excel
            System.out.println("Converting PDF to Excel...");
            AsposeResponse response = pdfApi.putPdfInStorageToXls(
                inputFile,  // Source PDF name
                outputFile  // Output XLS name
            );
            System.out.println("Conversion completed with status: " + response.getStatus());
            
            // 5. Download the converted Excel file
            System.out.println("Downloading converted Excel file: " + outputFile);
            byte[] xlsContent = pdfApi.downloadFile(outputFile);
            Files.write(Paths.get("local_" + outputFile), xlsContent);
            System.out.println("Downloaded Excel file to: local_" + outputFile);
            
            // 6. Verify the file exists
            File downloadedFile = new File("local_" + outputFile);
            if (downloadedFile.exists()) {
                System.out.println("Success! File size: " + downloadedFile.length() + " bytes");
            }
            
        } catch (ApiException | IOException e) {
            System.err.println("Exception during conversion: " + e.getMessage());
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Step 4: Understanding the Excel Output Structure

When you open the converted Excel file, you’ll find that Aspose.PDF Cloud has preserved the table structure from your PDF:

  • Tables are extracted with their rows and columns intact
  • Text content is placed in appropriate cells
  • Basic formatting such as text alignment may be preserved
  • Each page of the PDF may be converted to a separate worksheet or combined into one

Here’s what a typical conversion result looks like:

| A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog |                   |
| A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog |                   |
| A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog |                   |
| A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog |                   |
| A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog |                   |

Step 5: Optimizing Conversion Results

For the best conversion results, consider these optimization tips:

1. Ensure PDF Tables Are Well-Structured

The quality of conversion largely depends on how well-structured the original tables are in the PDF:

  • Tables with clear borders convert more accurately
  • Well-defined rows and columns improve recognition
  • Consistent spacing helps maintain table structure

2. Configure Conversion Parameters

For complex PDFs, you might need to adjust conversion parameters:

  • Consider using insertBlankColumnAtFirst parameter if needed
  • For multi-page PDFs, decide whether to create multiple worksheets
  • Set appropriate recognition mode for your document type

3. Post-Processing

Sometimes, you may need to:

  • Clean up headers or footers that appear in the Excel output
  • Adjust column widths for better readability
  • Apply formatting to make the data more usable
  • Fix merged cells or alignment issues

Try It Yourself

Now it’s your turn to practice! Follow these steps:

  1. Prepare a PDF document with tables (or use our sample PDF)
  2. Obtain your Client ID and Client Secret from Aspose Cloud
  3. Use one of the code examples above to convert your PDF to Excel
  4. Examine the resulting Excel structure
  5. Try modifying the code to handle different PDF files with varying table complexity

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Table Recognition Problems

If tables aren’t recognized correctly:

  • Check if the PDF tables have clear borders or structure
  • Try a different conversion approach (e.g., direct vs. storage)
  • Consider pre-processing the PDF for better results

Missing or Incorrect Data

If data is missing or incorrect:

  • Verify the original PDF doesn’t have security restrictions
  • Ensure text in the PDF is actual text (not images of text)
  • Check for complex formatting that might affect extraction

API Response Errors

If you receive error responses:

  • Double-check your authentication token
  • Verify the PDF file exists in cloud storage (for relevant methods)
  • Ensure the output path is valid and accessible

What You’ve Learned

Congratulations! In this tutorial, you’ve learned:

  • How to authenticate with the Aspose.PDF Cloud API
  • Different methods for converting PDF documents to Excel format
  • Implementing PDF to Excel conversion in multiple programming languages
  • Understanding factors that affect conversion quality
  • Troubleshooting common conversion issues

Further Practice

To reinforce your learning:

  1. Try converting PDFs with different table structures and complexity
  2. Experiment with different API parameters to optimize conversion
  3. Build a simple web application that allows users to upload PDFs and download Excel files
  4. Compare conversion results between different types of PDF documents

Next Steps

Ready to explore more PDF conversion options? Check out these related tutorials:

Helpful Resources

Feedback

Have questions about this tutorial or need additional help with PDF to Excel conversion? Feel free to reach out on our support forum or leave a comment below. We’re here to help!